Your Beauty Resembles the Beauty of Fireworks
by SilverReplay
Summary: 你就像烟火的美丽那么美丽 Your beauty resembles the beauty of fireworks/ 轻划过无人的天际 Softly streaking across the clear horizon/ 曾经交换过的秘密 This secret previously exchanged/ 紧紧埋藏在心底 Now tightly buried at the bottom of my heart/ 【 陈翔 — 烟火 / Chen Xiang — Firework 】 [] Prompt Fill for QZGS Rarepair Week 2018: Day 7: Free Day


**《** **Your Beauty Resembles the Beauty of Fireworks** **》**

 **Chapters** : 1/1

 **Fandom** : 全职高手 | The King's Avatar (Cartoon), 全职高手 - 蝴蝶蓝 | Quánzhí Gāoshǒu - Húdié Lán

 **Rating** : General Audiences

 **Relationships** : Fāng Shìqiān & Wáng Jiéxī, Fāng Shìqiān/Wáng Jiéxī

 **Characters** : Fāng Shìqiān, Wáng Jiéxī, Yuán Bǎiqīng

 **Additional Tags** : Pining, Longing, fireworks - chen xiang, Songfic, my song translation, Feels, Pre-Canon, Oneshot, Betaed

 **Series** : Part 7 of 2018 QZGS Rarepair Collection

 **Summary** :

你就像烟火的美丽那么美丽

Your beauty resembles the beauty of fireworks

轻划过无人的天际

Softly streaking across the clear horizon

曾经交换过的秘密

This secret previously exchanged

紧紧埋藏在心底

Now tightly buried at the bottom of my heart

【 陈翔 — 烟火 】

【 Chen Xiang — Firework 】

 **Notes:**

Prompt Fill for QZGS Rarepair Week 2018:

Day 7: _Free Day_

This pairing and fic was definitely not in any of my plans for this week, but Chen Xiang's 烟火 | Firework came on while I was listening to music and inspired this entire thing. Except then I realized there were no translations for the song, so uh...I translated it myself.

Thank you to JouissanceTKA for beta'ing both my translations and the fic itself. ily twinsie

* * *

 **《** **Your Beauty Resembles the Beauty of Fireworks** **》**

A glance outside showed him nothing but near darkness, the stars out in the sky only shining dimly in comparison to the moon. His gaze shifted, falling onto the person beside him. The glare of the computer monitor was especially bright at this time, illuminating a person he had slowly gotten to know better over the past few years, their beginning rocky but smoothing out with each passing day.

Eyes, though slightly uneven, focused firmly on the screen before him, unaware of being observed.

For a moment, Fang Shiqian took time to appreciate simply being there, together with Wang Jiexi, the room otherwise silent but for the clicks of the mouses or the taps of the keyboard. It was getting late, but neither of them were ready to leave; there was far too much to prepare, far too much to do. They had a good chance of winning it all this year; a couple late nights were nothing.

Outside, rain began to fall, steadily, softly, nothing more than a whisper, adding another layer to the soothing ambience.

Fang Shiqian allowed his lips to curve slightly, his eyes tracking the minute facial movements he had come to memorize and later anticipate, but he soon wiped the expression from his face, turning back to his own computer monitor.

夜已深了

 _Night has already fallen_

雨水的气味渐渐蔓延

 _The fragrance of rain gradually spreading_

缓缓时钟习惯性失眠

 _Little by little the clock moves, once again suffering from insomnia_

Some nights, he couldn't sleep, not really. The first few years haunted him, reminding him that nothing would between them would grow, would take root.

He torched that bridge, scarred it, when Lin Jie had left, his words too harsh, too out of character. What had he been thinking? Wang Jiexi had been a rookie, just starting out, a dutiful junior. He was surprised the guy forgave him so quickly, brushing it off as understandable and not much of a big deal.

It might not be much of a big deal to Wang Jiexi, but it was to him.

He didn't know how to fix things, simply rolling with the punches and letting things run its course.

He dragged his eyes away from the ceiling—the same bland white as always—and toward the doorway, the light peeking from beneath reminding him that Wang Jiexi was probably awake still, looking over reports, parsing through training schedules and battle strategies.

Was he that unreliable? Was it so inconvenient to ask him for help?

The wind blew in from the open window, the dark green curtains fluttering. Shadows danced across the walls, branches swaying but unbowed—unyielding in the face of adversity.

Involuntarily, his lips twitched upward, suddenly reminded of someone else quite similar to those branches. Memories drifted forth in his mind, of the young man who would take his back talk with nothing but a nod and calm eyes, who would still listen to his advice without the slightest bias, even if he knew he didn't mince his words in any way.

Admirable.

Easy to like, easy to fall for.

Like the flowers blooming after a light rain, their petals opening up to the sunlight, always welcoming.

Like shoots sprouting up everywhere, it accumulated, growing without notice, until it overtook the entire field.

墙面上摇晃的树影

 _The swaying shadows of trees on the wall_

有一点倔强独特的美

 _Have a unique type of unyielding beauty_

有些陌生 有些熟悉

 _Somewhat strange, somewhat familiar_

似有若无的爱情

 _Like and not like love should be_

He didn't know when it began, when it grew to the point where he could no longer ignore it.

All he knew was that this feeling arising in his chest was warm, fulfilling, peaceful—it rang in his mind, like something familiar yet not, like…

Like seeing a rainbow after a cloudy, rainy day, the sun warming the earth with its grace.

Like the fire dancing merrily in the hearth, the heat radiating out and stirring up feelings of home and comfort.

Like the sound of running water, steady, unchanging, simply there even when no attention was paid its way.

Like the moon, constant, shifting forms every night yet never truly disappearing.

Like a newfound love budding, something there yet not, only just coming into existence.

Fang Shiqian let his eyes slide shut, his mind calming upon this realization.

Well, he had never lied to himself, and he wouldn't start now.

He woke to tears staining his pillow, his eyes slightly red, skin slightly pale.

A splash of water to his face remedied most of it, but it didn't fix the wound inflicted on his heart, the grooves carved in his mind.

天已亮了

 _The sky has already brightened_

电视还没关

 _The television hasn't been turned off yet_

演着想念

 _Playing what we long for_

哪句对白是谁的遗憾

 _Which lines are whose regrets_

It took him a moment to place the voices he could hear when he left the bathroom, having gone to wash his face first thing. There, still dimly lit, was the small television he had installed a while back. He could remember sitting there alongside Lin Jie, both of them cracking up over western comedy films or linking up his laptop to it in order to watch the match replays on a larger screen instead of a regular monitor.

He didn't do things like that with Wang Jiexi, even if things had improved. He never offered, and Wang Jiexi was too polite to ask.

Sometime during the night, the program had switched to some romance drama, the actors and actresses on screen remarkable but forgettable to a mind so firmly entrenched in Glory like his.

Fang Shiqian stood at the doorway of the bathroom, his gaze steely. The lines coming from the television set, they struck a chord within him.

Some scene, a confession scene, he assumed, was playing, the lead actress admitting a childhood love and regretting never pursuing the male lead, instead remaining silent until that very moment.

Regret, her greatest regret, she said, but now also a hope for a brighter future.

Fang Shiqian made it across the room in but a few seconds. _Click._

The television turned off.

相似的地点和时间

 _A similar place and time_

假装不见却又会遇见

 _Pretending to not meet yet meeting again_

我们之间 那么巧合

 _Between us, so coincidental_

画面却已经走远

 _But this scene has already left us_

Fang Shiqian sighed and began to start his day, only to realize that it was the weekend. He set down the sweater he had just been about to put on and took a seat on his bed, brows slightly furrowed and hands clasped, shoulders a bit slumped, back a bit bent.

Right, there was no training that morning, not with a match so close.

A well-rested team, Wang Jiexi had once said, was better than one stressed out and already fatigued.

They wouldn't be meeting till later in the afternoon.

But, well, what if he just so happened to pass by the other's room this morning? Would he happen to run into his captain? Or would they just miss each other, like the many other times he had done this.

God, how long had he been pining over Wang Jiexi?

How could he have not known till now?

Look at him, such a lovestruck fool, tripping over himself to just see a glimpse of someone he sat next to most of the week, a glimpse of the guy he had been working with, side by side, for over two years by now.

Fang Shiqian glanced at the clock, watching it tick away silently. He then fell back, his forearm covering his eyes.

It was too early to be thinking so much.

But, he couldn't bring himself to leave his room like usual that morning.

So, he simply laid there for who knew how long, until a knock on his door woke him up from his accidental nap.

"Senior?"

"Oh, Big Eye, you need something?"

Fang Shiqian tiredly rubbed his eyes as he got up, a yawn escaping him. He opened the door to the person who had been occupying his thoughts night and day.

"I was looking some material over and was thinking…"

Fang Shiqian let Wang Jiexi's voice wash over him. He leaned against the door, having not fully opened it, one arm braced against the doorway, the other holding the door so as to prevent Wang Jiexi from seeing much inside. Even as his mind registered and sorted away what Wang Jiexi was saying, his eyes took in his captain, dressed neatly and comfortably in a sweater and jeans, a scarf wrapped around his neck and hair brushed to the side—a bit falling into his slightly larger eye.

Even though Wang Jiexi looked the same as he always did, did he always look so...breathtaking?

你就像烟火的美丽那么美丽

 _Your beauty resembles the beauty of fireworks_

轻划过无人的天际

 _Softly streaking across the clear horizon_

曾经交换过的秘密

 _This secret previously exchanged_

紧紧埋藏在心底

 _Now tightly buried at the bottom of my heart_

The stadium always set things in a different light. The cheers, the jeers, it all fell away into the background. Fang Shiqian's breath hitched, his gaze unable to tear away from Wang Jiexi a few steps before him. With the light shining down from ahead, it illuminated the other's outline, making it seem as if Wang Jiexi was truly leading them toward the light of Glory.

A silent, strong figure for the team members behind him, some of which he knew were still adjusting to the professional life.

Aways so nurturing, so protective, Fang Shiqian mused, his smirk softening into a gentle smile as he followed behind, his steps naturally falling where Wang Jiexi stepped just before.

He didn't want to break this balance they had carefully built up, didn't want to touch something so bright and hopeful.

He knew he was bitter, too jagged at the edges. Lin Jie's retirement had done a number on him. His words gained more of a bite, and he couldn't seem to filter himself around Wang Jiexi, against Lin Jie's replacement—no, his true successor.

 _Lin Jie would be proud of you,_ Fang Shiqian wanted to say, but he never did. There was no time, no place to say so. Maybe if they won the championship, he could. Wang Jiexi would have taken Tiny Herb to heights previously thought out of reach, pulling them along on his broom as he soared through the sky like a bright comet, something so magical it could sometimes only be seen once in a lifetime.

Wang Jiexi glanced back at him then, eyes widening slightly at the expression on Fang Shiqian's face.

Fang Shiqian, upon seeing him look back, nodded, quietly encouraging the other to keep moving forward. Wang Jiexi's steps never paused, but he did take softer steps, as if he was in deep contemplation. Fang Shiqian followed, like he always did, like he always would—until he couldn't. Those troublesome feelings of his began making themselves known again, but he buried them deep down. Now was not the time or place, but would there ever be one?

你就像烟火的神秘那么神秘

 _Your mysterious nature resembles the mysterious nature of fireworks_

风随着你若即若离

 _The wind follows you, seeming neither close nor distant_

留下触不到的可惜

 _Leaving behind an untouchable regret_

陨落下了我们的回忆

 _Our memories fading away_

 _Magician._

Sealed away, unusable.

Fang Shiqian had many regrets, but this might be one of his greatest ones. Being unable to keep up, unable to help, watching as Wang Jiexi struggled to bring the team to greater heights...Fang Shiqian broke the unspoken barrier of healers being purely support, raising himself up as a battle cleric, developing a second class as a paladin as well. Yet, it wasn't enough.

Wang Jiexi clipped his own wings, simply drifting in the wind now. Closer, more in reach for him and the others, yet still far away, still untouchable.

Another victory, another step closer.

Another loss, another stumble on the road.

How much of this journey would they remember, years later?

The frustration, the tears, the precious memories they made on this climb up the summit of glory?

Fang Shiqian didn't know, but he didn't think he would ever forget the sight of Wang Jiexi slumped over the desk, exhausted, asleep, having slipped away from reality some time while reviewing notes.

He went back to his room and then returned with a blanket, silently wrapping it around his captain before tidying up the notes and then leaving. He wished he could do more.

天已亮了

 _The sky has already brightened_

电视还没关

 _The television hasn't been turned off yet_

演着想念

 _Playing what we long for_

哪句对白是谁的遗憾

 _Which lines are whose regrets_

Months passed. Not once did he let himself slip, not a hint of his feelings being revealed. To Wang Jiexi, he was still the same, still laidback, still slightly disrespectful, still supportive and blunt yet distant. He was still _Fang Shiqian_ ; it was just that now...he was more aware of himself, more aware of how he had unconsciously been tracking Wang Jiexi with his eyes across the room, aware of how he would always run into the other—as if he had changed his daily routine to make sure he always saw his captain once a day.

Yet, there were times when he nearly cracked, when he nearly let his walls down. Those moments of peace, when it was the two of them sharing a pot of tea, or perhaps simply watching over the rest of the team as they practiced—when he was just a breath away from speaking up, only for the spell to break.

Fang Shiqian leaned back into his chair, his gaze distant, his hand absentmindedly tossing a beanbag up and down.

"Senior?"

"Huh?" Fang Shiqian, startled, threw the beanbag too high up. His gaze followed its flight trajectory, and it was too late by the time he realized where it was going to land.

 _Plop._

"Ahahaha, sorry about that, Big Eye. You startled me."

"It's fine, Senior." Wang Jiexi picked the beanbag up off the ground after it had landed on his head and then slid off. He placed it on the table before walking forward, decreasing the distance between the two. "These are the potential recruits the manager had informed me of from the training camp," he explained as he spread out the documents in the folder he had with him.

Fang Shiqian leaned forward, eyes staring straight down. He did his best to not react to Wang Jiexi's close presence, to act as normal as possible.

"Right, this guy right here seems decent, but with his anger management issues, he wouldn't mesh well with team dynamics. You have a tendency to coddle the team, too. Hey, don't give me that look, Big Eye; it's one hundred percent true."

"They're young and still learning."

"Doesn't mean you should let things go too far. You give them too much slack, even when it's causing minor conflict within the team. Anyway, this one doesn't seem that bad…"

相似的地点和时间

 _A similar place and time_

假装不见却又会遇见

 _Pretending to not meet yet meeting again_

我们之间 那么巧合

 _Between us, so coincidental_

画面却已经走远

 _But this scene has already left us_

It was easier to breathe some days; other times, he had to remind himself to function like a normal human being.

Why was being in love so hard?

Fang Shiqian sipped at his water bottle, eyes firmly looking away from Wang Jiexi as he made his rounds.

Even the most innocuous things caught his eye now. From Wang Jiexi eating lunch as he read more reports, to him just guiding a teammate on a strategy—it felt like _everything_ Wang Jiexi did was now of the utmost importance.

He hated it.

He loved it.

He was learning _so much_ about Wang Jiexi, but he was falling farther and faster with no parachute or wings to slow his descent.

He was falling, endlessly.

A barely-there touch at his shoulder caused his hand to jerk up, more water than he expected pouring down his throat. He coughed, hacking harshly to clear his airway. The hand backed off, stunned. Eyes watering slightly, Fang Shiqian glanced and saw Wang Jiexi staring at him with concern and surprise.

"You a ninja too, Big Eye? Give a guy some warning." Fang Shiqian flashed him a wry grin, which caused the other's tense shoulders to slacken in relief.

 _So, you don't want things to change back to the way they were as well?_ The realization struck Fang Shiqian just then, the wary tension suddenly present in Wang Jiexi's frame made all the more apparent to him.

Nearly three years of partnership, yet his captain was still worried that he would revert back to the snappish person he had been, back when Lin Jie had passed captaincy to Wang Jiexi?

Fang Shiqian eyed Wang Jiexi, an awkward silence filling the air.

Wang Jiexi took a moment to regain his composure and then opened his mouth as if to say something, only to reconsider. In the end, he just gave Fang Shiqian a nod and a clap on his shoulder before moving on.

Fang Shiqian watched, like he always did.

Lin Jie's figure no longer overlapped with Wang Jiexi's; it hadn't since midway through season three. If anything else, it felt as if Wang Jiexi's presence had infiltrated every aspect of his life.

He couldn't imagine never meeting this junior of his, never uncovering all of his personality—one facet at a time.

When they won the championship that year, those words remained choked in his throat, the moment passing silently once again.

"You did it, Big Eye. You stole back the championship."

"We did it, you mean. I did say I definitely will."

"Yeah, you did."

你就像烟火的美丽那么美丽

 _Your beauty resembles the beauty of fireworks_

轻划过无人的天际

 _Softly streaking across the clear horizon_

曾经交换过的秘密

 _This secret previously exchanged_

紧紧埋藏在心底

 _Now tightly buried at the bottom of my heart_

"Here," Fang Shiqian awkwardly said as he handed the oddly-shaped present over to Wang Jiexi. "Happy Birthday, Big Eye."

"Thank you, Senior." Wang Jiexi examined the present carefully, taking in the hexagonal base that was replaced by a rounded dome of sorts at the top. He glanced briefly up at Fang Shiqian, who was hovering in anticipation of his reaction. A small smile made its way onto his face as he slid a finger beneath the tapes and began unraveling the present.

木兰花 | Magnolia— _the flower that welcomes the spring._

"Not an orange tree?" Wang Jiexi asked, amused. Normally, one would be gifted something related to 'good fortune' and the like, not something heavily linked to the legend of Hua Mulan.

"You'll make your own fortune," was all Fang Shiqian said, voice softer than normal.

Wang Jiexi hummed in contemplation, his eyes roving over the intricate porcelain vase the plant came in. Celadon, a vivid jade green—did Fang Shiqian order this from abroad, or perhaps a specialty store? Dark green foliage crept up the sides, flowers blooming in a spray of white and pink.

The magnolia tree stood tall in the vase, the flowers a pure white except for a brilliant yellow center. Already, the petals were curling, withering. Wang Jiexi raised a brow at this and turned to face Fang Shiqian, who simply looked away. He pulled over a nearby, unopened bottle of mineral water and carefully tipped in half its contents into the pot. He would go buy proper supplies to take care of it tomorrow.

Fang Shiqian had yet to leave, surprising Wang Jiexi slightly. His brows furrowed slightly in thought before smoothening out. He set the magnolia tree right beside his computer, angling it so it received a proper amount of sunlight. "I like it."

"Great." Fang Shiqian chose that moment to leave. Wang Jiexi watched for a bit before turning back to his work. He never noticed the butterfly carved into the bottom of the vase.

 _A magnolia paired with a butterfly meant a young man's quest for love._

你就像烟火的神秘那么神秘

 _Your mysterious nature resembles the mysterious nature of fireworks_

风随着你若即若离

 _The wind follows you, seeming neither close nor distant_

留下触不到的可惜

 _Leaving behind an untouchable regret_

陨落下了我们的回忆

 _Our memories fading away_

It took him longer than he would like to admit that something had changed between them. He was just too used to how they were before that the little changes slipped past him. "Senior," Wang Jiexi called out, stopping Fang Shiqian in his tracks.

"Yes, Big Eye?"

There, the hesitation before using that nickname; it hadn't been there before. What happened?

"I was wondering if you were free during lunch today. I want to review the footage from the last match."

"Um…" Fang Shiqian trailed off, a look of contemplation crossing his face. "I was planning to look through the recruits to find myself a successor. I'm not getting any younger," he admitted.

Shock coursed through Wang Jiexi's body. _Successor? Oh._

Right, Fang Shiqian was a good two years older than him. Even though he knew the other's handspeed was starting to stagnate and decline, his skills were still top-notch and irreplaceable.

"If you're busy, that's all right," Wang Jiexi said, his body turning slightly in order to leave.

An inscrutable look appeared in Fang Shiqian's eyes. "What's another day without one," he declared, throwing an arm around Wang Jiexi's shoulders. It felt warm, familiar, a physical hold that wouldn't always be there.

The harsh wake-up call to reality was not what Wang Jiexi had been expecting.

 _Why does it feel like the moment we started getting closer, bridging the gap, you start drifting away again?_

Wang Jiexi resolved to get to the bottom of things before Fang Shiqian left. He didn't want to part with regret, but why did it feel like that would happen regardless of what he did?

 _A champion send-off, that would work._

That season, Blue Rain usurped their throne and claimed the championship for themselves. That season, Fang Shiqian uncovered Yuan Baiqing. That season, Wang Jiexi realized that even if he could create miracles, there were some things even miracles couldn't fix.

"There's always next season."

"I just need to steal it back, right?"

"Heh, you definitely will."

你就像烟火的美丽那么美丽

 _Your beauty resembles the beauty of fireworks_

轻划过无人的天际

 _Softly streaking across the clear horizon_

曾经交换过的秘密

 _This secret previously exchanged_

紧紧埋藏在心底

 _Now tightly buried at the bottom of my heart_

More time spent apart...it tore at his soul, like a part of it was missing. Fang Shiqian suppressed it all, though. He had no right to pursue Wang Jiexi, no right to feel this way.

He was a _fucking coward._

It had been what, two years since he realized? Yet he had still done _nothing._

Subtlety was not his forte, so Wang Jiexi should have realized by now, right? Yet, no response, no distance created—it was like all his effort was but waves lapping at the shoreline, utterly useless.

"Vice Captain?" Yuan Baiqing called out, hesitant. The older man had fallen silent all of a sudden after turning to look at the magnolia tree that had become somewhat of a mascot for the team, each member taking turns to water and prune it.

Fang Shiqian relaxed his death grip on the water bottle in his hand and took a deep breath to center himself. Eyes closing briefly before opening, his face cleared of any sign of frustration.

"Ah, nothing, Little Baiqing. So, when faced with a 1v2 scenario like this, what would you do?" Fang Shiqian inquired. He adjusted the settings for the simulation, altering the account levels and skills for all three avatars on the screen and then waited for Yuan Baiqing to voice his strategy.

"I would…"

Wang Jiexi watched on from the doorway, silent, arms crossed. Both Fang Shiqian and Yuan Baiqing had yet to notice his presence, and that was what he wanted. _Yuan Baiqing is progressing well, enough to debut this season._

Unknowingly, his hands clenched down on his arms a bit.

Just yesterday, Fang Shiqian had said that this would be his last season.

Time was running out.

The magnolia tree had already been trimmed, the fallen leaves and petals cleared away. An evergreen magnolia and not an early blooming one like he had first thought, Wang Jiexi mused. As if Fang Shiqian had wanted to instill something permanent into their lives, a constant, a reminder that there was always tomorrow.

Team Tiny Herb wouldn't be the same without him.

 _Next season, next next season, next next next season; weren't those your words, once upon a time? Your faith in me is priceless. But you never talked about staying till the end; that was, ultimately, all in my imagination._

Fang Shiqian secretly glanced back, fondness settling into his eyes when he saw Wang Jiexi staring at the birthday gift from last year.

 _Even the brightest blossoms pale in comparison to you,_ Fang Shiqian thought in a rare moment of eloquence.

Yet, a petal fell from the tree at that exact moment, snapping him back to reality. He turned away from Wang Jiexi in order to focus on Yuan Baiqing, burying his feelings deeper into his heart.

你就像烟火的神秘那么神秘

 _Your mysterious nature resembles the mysterious nature of fireworks_

风随着你若即若离

 _The wind follows you, seeming neither close nor distant_

留下触不到的可惜

 _Leaving behind an untouchable regret_

陨落下了我们的回忆

 _Our memories fading away_

"So, this is it?" Wang Jiexi asked, hands carefully packing away the mementos that had gradually covered Fang Shiqian's desk over the years.

"Yeah, the road has to end somewhere, sometime." Fang Shiqian stood up from his crouched position over his suitcase, going to grab the final thing he had yet to pack away—his team jacket. His hands hovered hesitantly over it, his eyes glancing back at his nearly bulging suitcase. In the end, he shrugged the team jacket on, one last time.

"It's been a good run," Wang Jiexi said, hand extended.

Fang Shiqian reached out to shake it, and then changed his mind midway. Pulling Wang Jiexi closer by their linked hands, he embraced his hardworking junior, allowing his head to lean onto the other's shoulder. One last moment of weakness, and then, he would properly end it all.

"Senior." Wang Jiexi's free hand hovered for a moment before wrapping around Fang Shiqian. He closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the warmth of the hug, but his stomach twisted inside, realizing that this was a goodbye hug, a farewell.

Moments passed, the clock ticking away like it always did.

Words began forming in his mind. He didn't want to leave things like this, so open, so loose. Yet, before Wang Jiexi could open his mouth, Fang Shiqian spoke first.

"Qixi is coming up soon, isn't it? I'm going to miss your birthday, but I'll be back in the city then. How about we go watch the fireworks together?"

The words came out faster than his mind could process, and by then, it was too late. Fang Shiqian could feel Wang Jiexi stiffen in his embrace. His captain—no, former captain—was probably overturning his words constantly in his mind, trying to find the hidden meaning.

"Sure. I hear the fireworks would be even more lovely this year, in order to celebrate our victory."

"Great."

Wang Jiexi could hear the smile in Fang Shiqian's voice, and he couldn't stop a smile from appearing on his face.

The two of them stayed like that for another minute before finally separating. Fang Shiqian had wiped his face clean of those traitorous feelings, so all that was left was a calm, collected expression.

"So, see you later, Big Eye?"

"Yea. Have a safe trip, Senior."

Fang Shiqian swept his gaze over the empty room, suddenly feeling bereft, as if the wind could tug him anywhere across the world and he wouldn't be able to resist. Dragging his suitcase behind him, he left, Wang Jiexi trailing behind a few paces back.

That was fine.

He would be back in two month's time.

Besides, he already took the first step. He refused to let this become his greatest regret. He refused to let this become nothing more than bittersweet memories.

"Senior."

Fang Shiqian looked back, a questioning look on his face.

Wang Jiexi, in a rare moment of nervousness, paused, as if he didn't know why he called out to the other. "Thank you, for everything."

 _Thank you for being by my side._

 _Thank you for supporting me, even when you doubted me, distrusted me, at first._

 _Thank you for helping bring two championships home to Tiny Herb._

 _Thank you...for being you._

"No need to thank me, Wang Jiexi."

 _The one who should be expressing thanks is_ _ **me**_ _, after all._

* * *

 **Notes:**

Qixi Festival: The 7th day of the 7th lunar month. In 2022, when the last scene is set, it would occur on August 4th, just under a month after Wang Jiexi's birthday (July 6th).

Open ending...it's left up to your interpretation, on whether a relationship blooms between them or not. Fang Shiqian is at least going to try. (^^;;)

Select lines taken from Top Glory, Chapter 10: Dynasty and Youth

Crossposted on **AO3** under **MTKiseki**


End file.
